Loom



Nov. 17, 1936. R. w. zlRM ET Al. 2,061,339

LOOM

Filed Nov. l, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES LOOM Robert W. Zirm, Reynoldsville, and Frederick I. Zirm, Bloomsburg, Pa.

Application November 1, 1935, Serial No. 47,870

9 Claims. y (Cl. 139-343) The invention relates to an improvement in looms, and more particularly to an electricalloom control device for preventing shuttle-smashes due to improper positioning of the shuttles.

In they conventional loom, each end of the lay carries one or more shuttle cells. Where more than one cell is provided at one end of the lay, the cells are shiftable so that the desired cell may be brought opposite the shuttle race of the 10 lay to receive or discharge a shuttle.

During operation of the loom, the shuttle travels back and forth across the shuttle race, and in each operation of a shuttle, it is projected from a shuttle cell atone end of the shuttle race and received by a second cell at the other end of the race. It sometimes happensthat when .a shuttleA is shot or projected across the race, the cell at the receiving end of the race already contains a second shuttle. As a result, there occurs what is commonly termed a shuttle-smash in the loom which causes injury to the loom, to the fabric being woven, or to both the loom and the fabric.

The improper positioning of the shuttles, so

that a smash will accompany the next operation of the loom, may be dueto the weavers placing of a shuttle in the wroing box, to faulty operation of the box motion in shifting the cells, to sticking .of the boxes, to starting with the wrong pick, or to breaking of the picker stick.

Devices for stopping a loom, when the shuttles are improperly positioned, have been proposed, but the devices of the prior art have been found objectionable for a number of reasons. In general, they are complicated, expensivaand unreliable.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved electrical control for looms which will stop their operation, and thereby avoid a shuttle-smash, whenever two shuttles are positioned at opposite ends of the shuttle race.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a control for looms which will stop or prevent their operation, whenever a shuttle is positioned in each of the shuttle cells at opposite ends of the shuttle race,irrespective of the cause for such positioning of the shuttles.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device on the lay and adjacent the shuttle boxes for controlling the operation of the loom.

A still further object is the provision of a simplified switch' device controlled by the shuttles and shuttle box of the loom.

55; It is also an object to .provide an electrical loom control for avoiding shuttle-smashes, which control is inexpensive, reliable, and of simplied construction.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of an 5 embodiment of this invention and the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of part of a loom and an electrical control embodying this invention. l0

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shuttle iaivitcjhes shown at the left end of the lay in Fig. 3 is a View partly in cross section and partly in elevation taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. 1. 15

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the shuttle switcies shown at the right end of the lay in Fig. v

Fig. 5 is a detail view in cross section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. 20

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic showing of the hookup of the electrical control shown in Figs. 1 to 5.

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic View of the knock-off mechanism controlled by the electro-magnet shown in Fig. 6. 25

Fig. 8 is a, side view of a modified switch device made in accordance with this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows that part of a conventional loom comprising the usual frame I, lay 2, shuttle race 3, and lay 30 swordsd.

For the purpose of illustrating an embodiment of this invention, the drawings show the 4 by 4 box type of loom, that is, each end of the lay 2 carries a shiftable shuttle box 5 having four 35 shuttle cells 6 (see Fig. 3). As will be apparent, however, from an understanding of this invention, it is applicable to any loom having a shiftable shuttle box provided with more than one cell. For example, the invention may be used in connection with a 2 by l box loom where one end of the lay has a shiftable two-cell shuttle box, and the other a one-cell shuttle box.

According to conventional practice, each shuttle cell 6, as shown in the drawings, is provided with a shuttle binder 8 and binder spring l0. The shuttle binder 8, under the action of its binder spring Ill, serves to arrest the movement of a shuttle as it enters the shuttle cell, and also serves to prevent accidental movement of a shuttle out of its cell. Fig. 3, for the purposes of illustration, shows the upper three cells 6 empty and the binders 8y held in their inner position by the springs I0 (shown in Fig. 1). The lowermost cell 6 of Fig. 3 contains a shuttle 9, and its binder 8 is shown in the outer position.

In order to produce desired changes in the fabric being woven by the loom, the shuttle boxes 5 are shifted from time to time by box rods I in known manner to position diilerent shuttle cells 6 opposite the shuttle race 3. For proper operation of the loom, the twoboxes 5 are shifted so that at one end of the race 3, there is a cell 6 containing a shuttle, and at the other end, there is an empty cell 6. The conventional picker stick (not shown) projects the shuttle within a cell across the race 3. In a normal operation, the projected shuttle travels across the race 3 to lay thread and comes to rest in the empty shuttle cell which has previously been positioned at the receiving end of the race. If for some reason, the latter cell contains a second shuttle the projected shuttle will come to rest on the race 3 and a shuttle-smash may occur if the loom is not stopped. The present invention is designed to prevent such a smash and provides means for stopping the loom whenever the cells 6 at opposite ends of the race each contain a shuttle.

In a l by 4 box loom, as described above, each 4of the two shuttle boxes 5 is provided with a switch device accor-ding to this invention. Each switch device includes a shuttle cell switch, that is closed in accordance with the positioning of the shuttle cells. Each switch device also has a shuttle switch for each cell which is closed when a shuttle is within the cell. Each switch device is so designed that the shuttle switch of the cell on a level with the shuttle race will be included in series with the cell switch of the device, and the cell switch is designed to selectively include in the control circuit (described hereinafter) the shuttle switch of the cell opposite the shuttle race.

The shuttle cell switch in each switch device comprises a stationary electric contact element II, carried at the end of the lay 2, and electric contacts I2, carried by the shuttle box 5, each cell 6 having a separate contact I2. While the shuttle cells 6 are being adjusted as described above, the contacts I2 move with the cells and pass Linder the contact element I I. At the end of this movement, the contact I2 of the cell 6 adjusted to a position opposite the shuttle race 3 comes to rest under and against the contact element I I.

The shuttle switches referred to above comprise pairs of electric contacts I3, I4, a pair being provi-ded for each cell 6. Each pair of these contacts H3, I4 is so arranged that the contacts will be closed by insertion of a shuttle in the cell having that particular shuttle switch (see lowermost cell and its contacts in Fig. 3), and will be in the open position when the cell is empty (see upper cells and their contacts in Fig. 3).

The stationary contact linger I I projects from a metallic plate I5 mounted on a bar I6 and separated therefrom by a block I'I of Wood, bre, or other suitable insulating material. Bar I6 is mounted on the lay 2 with the Contact element I I opposite the shuttle race 3.

The set of contacts I2, '13, and I4 for each shuttle cell 6 is mounted to movetherewith during adjustment of the shuttle box and to be selectively included in the control circuit (described hereinafter) by the fixed contact element I I.

The contacts I2 are set into apertures in the supporting block I8, of suitable insulating material, which extends transversely of the shuttle cells 6. Block I8 is secured to the shuttle box 5 in any suitable manner and moves therewith to position the contact I2 of the shuttle cell 6 opposite the shuttle race 3, under the stationary contact element II and in electrical contact therewith.

The switch device at each end of the lay has a support for all vof the pairs of contacts I3, I 4 at that end. The support consists of a pair of parallel arms I 9, 20 of any suitable insulating material, such as wood or nbre, an insulating spacer block 2| and a flanged bracket 22. lThe arms I9, 20, spacer block 2I, and the flange of bracket 22 are held in assembled relation by bolt 23 exten-ding therethrough, and a nut 24 as shown in Fig. 3. Bracket 22 is secured to box rod 'I by nuts 25 so that the assembled support for contacts I3, I4 will be positioned adjacent the cells 6 and will shift therewith during vertical adjustment of the cells.

Contacts I3 carried by arm I9 are in the form of bolts, and each contact I3 extends through an aperture in arm I9 and is projected against a binder 8 by a coil spring 26 which encircles the contact bolt I3.

Contacts I4 extending through and carried by arm 20 are also in the form of bolts. Coil springs 21 encircling the bolt contacts I4 yiel-dingly project them toward the ends of contacts I3 as shown in Fig. 3. Pairs of nuts 28 on the ends of bolt contacts I4 limit their movement and permit their adjustment. The contacts I4 are insulated from one another by the arm 29, and the latter is provided with a conductor plate 29 for each contact I4. The coil springs 21 which are compressed between plates 29 and the heads of the bolt contacts I4 serve to electrically connect them together. The bolt contacts I4 may also have direct electrical contact with their plates 29 as they extend through apertures in the plates and may rub the plates at those points.

The contact I2 and plate 29 provided or each shuttle cell are electrically connected by a Wire 3D as shown in Fig. 6.

The switch device at the left end of the lay (see Figs. l to 3) is intended to ground the control circuitI through the loom. The grounding of the circuit at this point is the result of the bolt I3, of the cell opposite the shuttle race, contacting the metallic binder 8 of its shuttle box.

The contact bolts I3 of the switch device the right end of the lay are not intended to ground the control circuit and have heads Si of bakelite (see Fig. 4), or other suitable material, to insulate the contact bolts I3 from the adjacent binders 8.

The switch device at the right end of the lay, as shown in Fig. 4, has a conducting plate 32 (of copper or other suitable conducting material), for electrically connecting all of the contact bolts I3, which extend therethrough. The end of each coil spring 26 abuts against the plate 32 and insures good electrical contact between the latter and the bolts I3.

The switch devices described above are included in a control circuit (see Fig. 6) having an electro-magnet 33 and a generatory 34 or other available source of current supply. The wiring of the control circuit comprises a wire 35, which may extend along and beneath the lay 2, for connecting the metallic plate I5 and its contact element II of the switch device at the left end of the lay with the conducting plate 32 of the switch device at the right end of the lay. The electro-magnet 33 and generator 34 are included in the control circuit by means of wiring 36, 31, and 38, the wire 38 leading to the plate I5 and contact element II of the switch device at the right end of the machine.

It will now be seen that the shuttle switch, composed of contacts I3, I4, of any particular cell will be closed when that cell contains a shuttle. The shuttle 9 presses the binder 8 of its cell outwardly, forcing the contact bolt I3 against contact I4 which may move as its spring 21 yields to ypermit the necessary movement` of the contact bolt I3. The springs 26 and 21 act to restore the contact bolts I3, I4 to their open circuit positions when the shuttle leaves the cell. Stationary Contact element I I, by engaging only the contact I2 of the cell 6 opposite the shuttle race 3, selects which pair of contacts I3, I4 will close and complete the control circuit at that end of the shuttle race.

Assuming that the two shuttle boxes 5 have been shifted so that the lowermost cell of each is on a level with the shuttle race as shown in Figs. l and 6, stationary contact elements II will engage the contacts I2 of the lowermost cells and the contacts I3, I4 of the lowermost cell at each end of the lay will be included in the circuit in series relation. Should each of the lowerrnost cells at the opposite ends of the race 3 contain a shuttle, through carelessness of the weaver or faulty operation of the loom, the control circuit will be closed and the electromagnet 33 energized. The path for the current under these conditions will be evident from the wiring diagram of Fig. 6. The current will ow through the magnet 33 to plate I5 at the right end of the lay by way of wiring 31 and 38. The current will continue through contact element II, lowermost contact I2, wire 30, plate 29, contact I4, and contact I3. From plate 32, the path is by wire 35 to plate I5 and contact element II at the left end of the lay. The circuit is completed through lowermost contact I2, wire 36, plate 29 and contacts I4, I3 to the lowermost binder 8 at the left end of the race, where the circuit is grounded.

It will therefore be seen that magnet 33 will be energized whenever a shuttle is in each of the shuttle cells 6 opposite the shuttle race 3 by closing of the contacts I3, I4 for those cells. It is also evident that the closing and opening of the contacts I3, I4 of the cells not on a level with thc shuttle race in no way controls the circuit.

While the invention has been disclosed in connection with a particular type of circuit, it will be understood that other circuit arrangements may be used in practicing this invention, and that the circuit need not be of the grounded type.

For example, the switch device shown for the right end of the lay 2 might be duplicated at the left end, and the conductor plate 32 at the left end of the lay might be connected to the generator 34.

As shown in Fig. 7, when magnet 33 is energized, it raises the stop-dagger 39 through the connections between the stop-dagger 39 and the armature lever 4I) of the magnet 33. As the lay 2 beats back, the bunter 4I carried by the lay 2 encounters the upheld dagger 39 and acting through the lever 42, knock-olf rod 43, and dog 44 shifts or rocks the starting handle 45 causing the loom to stop in the back center or open shed position. The dagger 39 is positioned on the loom in such manner as to insure this stopping of the loom in the back center position. 'I'he loom is preferably stopped in the back center position, as then the two` series of warp threads are farthest apart and will not be damaged by the shuttle which stops on the race.

The timing of the loom, operations may be such that the shifting of the shuttle boxes 5 is completed before the bunter 4I arrives at the position where it may engage dagger 39 if the latter is set for the engagement. The timing may also be such that the shuttles are picked after bunter 4I has been carried past the idle position (see Fig. 7) of dagger 39; so that if dagger 39 has been raised, in the manner described hereinbefore when the shifting of the shuttle boxes has been completed, bunter 4I will engage the dagger 39 before a shuttle has been picked.

The knock off mechanism shown in Fig. 7 is conventional and any suitable mechanism for stopping the loom may be controlled by the circuit shown in Fig. 1. It is preferred, however, that this invention be used with stopping mechanism which will stop the operation of the loom when the lay is in the back center position and there is an open shed.

Where the loom has only a single cell at one end (for example, the right end) of the lay, a control switch, as shown in Fig. 8, may be used at that end. In this case, the stationary contact element II, contacts I2 and wires 30 are eliminated, and a different support is provided for the shuttle switch.

The shuttle switch of Fig. 8 is formed by a pair of contact bolts 46, 41. Contact bolt 46 is slidably mounted in a metallic bracket 48 and is encircled by a spring 49 for projecting the bolt head 56 of suitable insulating material against binder 8. Contact bolt 41, which is slidably mounted in a metallic bracket 5I, is similarly encircled by a spring 52 and has adjusting nuts 53 for limiting the movement of the bolt toward contact 46. When a shuttle is in this single cell, binder 8 will press contact 46 against contact 41 and both of the springs 49 and 52 will yield to permit the necessary movement of the contacts. Brackets 48 and 5I may be suitably insulated from the machine and the switch may be substituted for the switch device shown in Figs. l and 4 for the right end of the lay, when the latter has only a single shuttlecell. In this case, wire 35 may be connected to bracket 48 and wire 38 to bracket 5I, or vice versa.

From the above, it will be seen that the invention provides -a simple means for stopping the loom whenever two shuttles come to occupy operative positions at opposite ends of the shuttle race, and that other embodiments of the invention may be readily devised within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims, wherein we claim:

l. In a loom having a loom stopping mechanism, an electric circuit for controlling said stopping mechanism, a group of shuttle cells for selective positioning at one end of the lay, and at least one shuttle cell at the opposite end thereof, the combination comprising a separate switch for each of said shuttle cells and operable to the closed position by a shuttle within its cell, and switch means for electrically coupling the switches of the two opposite cells on a level with the shuttle race of said lay in series relation in said cirat the opposite end of the lay and on a level with the shuttle race of the lay, and an electric circuit for controlling said stopping mechanism and including a switch operable to closed position by a shuttle within said last-mentioned shuttle cell, the combination comprising a separate switch for each of the shuttle cells in said group operable to closed position by a shuttle within its cell, and switch means for electrically coupling the switch of the shuttle cell of said group on a level with said race in said circuit in series to said first-mentioned switch for completing said circuit in event a shuttle is within each of the two shuttle cells on a level wth the shuttle race, said combination being mounted to move with said lay.

3. The combination with a loom having a group of shuttle cells at one end of the lay for selective positioning opposite the shuttle race, at least one shuttle cell at the other end of the lay, and a loom controlling electric circuit including an electric switch operable to the closed position upon insertion of a shuttle in said last-named cell, of a device comprising a stationary contact element carried at the end of the lay adjacent said group of shuttle cells and included in said circuit, a separate switch for each of the shuttle cells in said group and mounted to move with the cells during their positioning relative to the shuttle race and during the travel of said lay, each of the switches for said group of cells comprising a pair of contacts operable to closed position by a shuttle within its cell, one of each of said pairs of contacts being permanently included in said circuit and the other Contact being included in said circuit by electrical connection with said contact element when its cell is on a level with said shuttle race.

4. The combination with a loom having a group of shuttle cells at one end of the lay for selective positioning opposite the shuttle race; at least one shuttle cell at the other end of the lay; and a loom controlling electric circuit including an electric switch operable to the closed position upon insertion of a shuttle in said last-named cell; of a device comprising a stationary contact element car-- ried at the end of the lay adjacent said group of shuttle cells and included in said circuit; and a set of three contacts for each of the shuttle cells in said group and mounted to move with the cells during their positioning relative to the shuttle race and during the travel of said lay; in each set, two contacts being electrically connected and one of said two contacts being positioned to electrically engage said contact element when the cell having such set is on a level with the shuttle race, the third contact being permanently included in said circuit and together with the other of said two contacts providing a switch operable to the closed position when a shuttie is in the cell having such set of contacts.

5. The combination with a loom having a group of shuttle cells at one end of the lay for selective positioning opposite the shuttle race; at least one shuttle cell at the other end' of the lay and a loom controlling electric circuit including an electric switch operable to the closed position by insertion of a shuttle in Said last-named cell; of a switch device comprising a shuttle switch for each of the shuttle cells in said group and operable to the closed position by insertion of a shuttle in the cell, and a cell switch controlled in accordance with the positioning of said group of cells for including the shuttle switch of the cell in said group and opposite the shuttle race and said rst-mentioned switch in series relation in saidv circuit said device being mounted to move with said lay.

6. The combination with a loom having a shuttle cell provided with a shuttle binder of a switch comprising a bolt contact in position to be shifted axially by the shuttle binder when a shuttle occupies the cell, means for yieldingly projecting said contact against said binder, a second bolt contact axially aligned with said first-mentioned bolt contact and to be engaged thereby when the latter is shifted by said binder, and means for yieldingly maintaining said second contact in position for engagement with said iirst mentioned contact.

7. In a control for a loom having a shuttle receiving box at each end of the shuttle race and at least one of the shuttle boxes consisting of a plurality of shuttle cells for selective positioning at one end of the shuttle race, the combination comprising means operative to stop the loom in the back center position, a control circuit for operating said means, and a switch device at each end of the shuttle race operated by positioning of the shuttles and shuttle cells to complete said circuit in event a shuttle is within each of the cells at opposite ends of the shuttle race, said switch device including a shuttle cell switch for each of said cells and movable therewith at all times.

8. In a device to provide a loom with a switch for each cell of a group of cells in a shuttle box which is actuated by a shuttle box rod to position a selected cell of said shuttle box opposite the loom race, the combination comprising a bracket member to be supported by and move with said box rod, a plurality of sets of electrical contacts carried by said bracket member, each of said contact sets forming a separate shuttle switch and comprising two axially aligned and axially shiftable contact bolts, and spring means associated with each bolt to normally project the individual bolts to the open switch position.

9. In a device to provide a loom with a switch for each cell of a group of cells in a shuttle box which is actuated by a shuttle box rod to position a selected cell of said shuttle box opposite the loom race, the combination comprising a bracket member to be supported by and move with said box rod, a plurality of sets of electrical contact bolts carried by said bracket member, each of said sets of Contact bolts forming a separate shuttle switch, and the contact bolts in each set being axially aligned and axially shiftable, and a coil spring encircling each of said bolt contacts to normally project the bolt to the open switch position.

ROBERT W. ZIRM. FREDERICK P. ZIRM. 

